Carl Williams III is remembered as the kind of man who could electrify a room with a grin, rally a football team with a fourth-quarter miracle, and lift up a whole community with nothing but sneakers and selflessness.

Known as “Carlioo,” Williams was a beloved coach, devoted father, and standout athlete who was “a fun-loving, easy-going guy who wanted to see others succeed,” according to his uncle.

But on Sunday, at his daughters’ dance recital inside Mobile’s historic Saenger Theater, the life of this “girl dad” was cut short in a tragedy that’s left an entire city reeling.

The gunman, identified as 27-year-old Marcus Sanders, is being held in Mobile Metro Jail on a murder charge.

“He ended up a girl dad and was always supporting them,” said his uncle, Keyon Williams, of Birmingham. “He was selfless.”

That selflessness was evident in his current project involving the creation of a new clothing line and his love for attire.

Williams donated about 20 to 30 pairs of athletic shoes to the LeFlore High School team, each pair valued over $150, his uncle said.

“Carl was an avid shoe collector, he had Jordan’s and any type of shoe you can imagine,” said Keyon Williams.

“He had his own clothing line. He gave those shoes to (LeFlore) and he didn’t want anything in return for that. He just wanted to give someone hope.”

The clothing line that Williams started was called Fidelity and “was starting to take off,” according to Murphy High School basketball coach and friend, Mike Epps.

“He was talking about supporting our program and doing something from his clothing line to support me,” Epps said.

“He gave his time to make sure the kids had the resources he didn’t have growing up. He was a standup guy.”

Michelle McRae Neuschwander, a chemistry teacher at B.C. Rain about a decade ago, said Williams was a “good-natured” high school student who was always working hard in class and was a stand-up student.

“He was one of those students who was jovial and who made it fun to teach,” she said.

“I was telling my husband that I’ve taught probably 3,200-plus kids and when I saw his name, I could instantly see his smile,” she said.

“He would light up a classroom. He was in there, each day, trying to make himself a better student.”

His uncle said that Williams was a four-sport athlete in high school – baseball, basketball, football and soccer. But it was on the football field where Williams made his mark.

In 2014, the B.C. Rain Red Raiders squeaked into the Class 5A playoffs following a three-game winning streak to finish the season.

They then traveled to Demopolis and scored an upset win thanks to a furious fourth-quarter comeback and a memorable game-winning touchdown.

With 1:19 left in the game, and B.C. Rain trailing Demopolis 27-21, Williams scrambled out of a trouble and found wide receiver Corey Brown on a stunning 72-yard score.

“It was one of the coldest games … they were down, and he was encouraging his teammates,” said Keyon Williams. “It was an improbable win. It spoke to the person he was.”

The next week, B.C. Rain defeated Charles Henderson in the first home playoff game the school had played since 2005.

Keyon Williams said his nephew had scholarships to play sports in college. He attended Concordia College in Selma.

“He had so much to give,” said Keyon Williams.

The shooting has stirred anger in Mobile, where politicians and police leaders are calling the entire incident as “despicable.”

Keyon Williams said he believes the tragedy could have been avoided “if we showed conflict resolution.” He also believed that the Saenger Theater should have had metal detectors if it was hosting a large group of people.

“A lot of people could have gotten hurt,” he said, he said, regarding the shooting that killed Carl Williams III and left another, unnamed victim, with non-life-threatening injuries.

“I pray for the mental health of the kid who participated and the patrons there at this event,” Keyon Williams said. “Everyone is going to need prayer at this moment.”